British Columbia is an excellent place for diving year-round, and even better, some of the best dive sites the province has to offer are easily accessible from shore. Most of these sites are suitable for all divers, and all are home to a fantastic array of marine life. While there are many to choose from, some do stand out from the rest. Here are just five of the best shore dives BC’s Victoria has to offer.
Ten Mile Point
Located just outside Victoria, Ten Mile Point is situated north of Cadboro Bay. The parking area is located at the very end of White Rock Street and has room for only a few vehicles, and to get to the water, you’ll need to climb down a rocky path. Often done as a drift dive, the site offers a few different exit points, including a boat ramp, a groundwater drainage pipe, and a small beach about a block from the parking area. Once in the water, you’ll find yourself facing a wall covered in encrusting sponges, plumose anemones, and starfish. Kelp covers the upper portion of the wall down to a depth of 15 meters, after which the main wall drops away to 30 meters, where it meets the sandy bottom, where a shell reef remains as evidence of what was once an oyster processing plant. As Ten Mile Point protrudes into Haro Strait, it is subject to unpredictable currents. It is also a popular fishing site, being home to rockfish, red Irish lords, greenling, cabezon, lingcod, and others; watch out for fishing line and be sure to carry a knife. Suitable only for divers with some experience, the site is at its best at slack tide, which enables you to learn its layout; after that, try it when the current is up for a fun drift.
Clover Point
A very popular place for windsurfing, kiteboarding, and kite flying, Clover Point is often subject to stiff winds; sometimes you’ll see hang gliders on the cliffs above. Located west of Ross Bay, near the Ross Bay Cemetery, the point is part of Dallas Road Park; a boat ramp provides easy access and egress. A fantastic shallow site suitable for all levels, it features maximum depth at just 12 meters. During the summer, a beautiful kelp forest provides shelter to all sorts of small fish, lots of crabs, and more than a few sea anemones. The rocky reefs that surround the point are home to sculpins and gunnels, starfish and basket stars, burrowing orange sea cucumbers, and plenty of nudibranchs. A lush garden of eel grass is teeming with sea anemones, and along the sandy flats you’ll find hundreds of brilliant yellow and orange sea pens, along with the occasional dogfish or even a few skates. At the very end of the point, more experienced divers can head out to a depth of 20 meters, where a group of four old railway cars offer the opportunity for exploration. Look for lingcod, red Irish lords, greenling, and other fish, along with a few wolf eels that make their homes inside. Not without its hazards, the site is popular with whale watching boats and fishing boats that come close to shore, plus it is possible to get caught up in the kelp. Dive with a flag and a knife, and be sure to pay close attention to the current tables if you plan to head very far from shore.
Ogden Point Breakwater and Reef Balls
Ogden Point’s Breakwater is situated where the waters from the Strait of Juan de Fuca merge with those of the Strait of Georgia, providing some of the most exceptional diving Victoria has to offer. Located only a few minutes from downtown, it protects the city’s port and at 800 meters long, the granite and concrete structure offers plenty of opportunities for lengthy dives. While the site is a marine sanctuary, fishing is allowed – dive with a flag, watch out for lost tackle and carry a knife with you as you explore. To the west side of the point, you’ll see five dive flags painted near the top of the breakwater, with related plaques that describe various points of interest. Each plaque provides compass directions to those nearby. Beside the breakwater, a forest of bull kelp shelters a fantastic variety of rockfish, plus you’ll find black eyed gobies, octopus, perch and flounder, sculpins, warbonnets, and loads of crustaceans.
There are two sets of reef balls nearby as well, which are used for scientific research. The first is just beyond the first bend in the breakwater at a depth of 10 meters, and the second is off flag three in 15 meters of water. The reef balls are connected by a white cave line and if you’re interested primarily in doing the popular reef ball trek, enter the water beyond the third painted dive flag where a patch of grey paint signals the entry point. Maximum depth is 35 meters at the end of the breakwater, and currents can be strong at times. There’s a dive shop on shore nearby where you can get more information, plus hot showers and coffee after your dive.
Enterprise Channel
A fantastic site for a drift, Enterprise Channel is accessed via Beach Drive on the east side of McNeill Bay. There is a small parking lot perched over the beach, which you can walk to via a set of stairs. A heap of boulders, dumped here to keep a big sewer pipe in place, has created an artificial reef across the sandy bottom, providing shelter for all sorts of macro life. A garden of eel grass provides habitat for colorful sea anemones, and a fantastic little kelp forest shelters loads of fish and other creatures. If you’re a new diver, you’ll enjoy the area near shore very much; as maximum depth is just over 9 meters and there is lots to see, this is a great site for practicing skills and learning to identify sea life. If you’re more experienced, you can follow the reef out toward the end of the sewer pipe, which is at a depth of about 22 meters. In addition, a natural reef and a 10 foot wall can be found here at a depth of about 18 meters; masses of purple sea urchins and orange burrowing sea cucumbers can be found at the bottom. All over the site, brilliant encrusting sponges, tunicates, and hydroids provide a fantastic backdrop for the many quillback and copper rockfish, greenling, Irish lords, and other fish that live in the area.
Out toward the deeper sections, the current rarely stops, and it can sometimes be swift close to shore, too, even during slack tide. At times the current can swirl and is too strong to swim against; it is a good idea to have a boat on standby when the current is up – you could find yourself being pushed away toward Trial Island when it is at its strongest.
Spring Bay
Located at the end of Tudor Avenue in the Cadboro Bay area next to Ten Mile Point, Spring Bay is a great place for novices and is often used for classes. To the left of the site, a reef slopes away to a boulder strewn bottom, eventually ending up at maximum depth of about 25 meters, and to the right, a short swim leads you to Ten Mile Point, where life is even more abundant. Everywhere you look, colorful sunflower stars and other sea stars can be found, along with California sea cucumbers and burrowing orange sea cucumbers. There are plenty of brilliant purple sea urchins here, along with plenty of fish, crustaceans, and other creatures, including octopus peering suspiciously from their dens. In the shallow areas, a lush kelp forest springs up during the summer months, providing a haven for even more life.
If you’re new to the Victoria area or if you are visiting, you’ll find plenty to do topside, along with a thriving dive community. Besides these shore dives, there are a number of boat dives to enjoy, plus there are plenty of wrecks to explore. An unexpected paradise for divers, Victoria has it all.